


The Kindness of Death

by Jotun_in_my_mind



Category: The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Alien Invasion, Angst and Feels, F/M, Ghosts, Loki is dead, thor is sad
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-11-06
Updated: 2019-11-06
Packaged: 2021-01-24 02:57:24
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,457
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21331141
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Jotun_in_my_mind/pseuds/Jotun_in_my_mind
Summary: You are an original female character who is part of the Avengers' team.  An alien army has been attacking Earth for several months and the battles have been intense and 24/7.  Everyone is exhausted but you cannot stop or the Earth will be overtaken.  The largest battle has just finished and the Avengers have saved Earth, but not without their own losses.  The team is boarding the Quinjet to return to the Tower after finally defeating the aliens...
Relationships: Loki (Marvel)/Original Female Character(s)
Comments: 2
Kudos: 6





	The Kindness of Death

Thor seats himself heavily beside you and sighs deeply, finally able to rest after the endless battles that have exhausted the team over the last two months. His blonde hair is plastered against his sweaty face and neck, and his armour heavily streaked with dirt and blood. As his arm leans gently against your side you stiffen protectively and barely suppress a pained noise, but even your best efforts to conceal your injuries do not hide the truth from Thor. He notices immediately and turns instinctively towards you to assess your condition, his centuries of battlefield experience governing his actions.

“No Thor, it’s OK.” Your voice is quiet but firm. “There is nothing you can do. Just let me sit quietly.”

Thor’s concerned face becomes markedly strained as his clear blue eyes bore into yours, burning with questions. You smile weakly and meet his stare with your glazed half-closed eyes, and lay a small hand on his massive forearm. 

“I’m ready, it is my time, and I’m at peace with it. Really, it’s OK.”

Thor swallowed slowly and lay his great hand on top of yours. Bowing his head he acknowledged your decision to allow your injuries to claim your mortal life without battling unnecessarily and prolonging the inevitable and turning your final moments into noisy chaos. Yours would be a peaceful passing after a victorious battle, and no-one could ask for more than that. 

Thor raised an eyebrow in query and nodded towards the rest of the team as they took their places inside the Quinjet for the journey home. You shook your head. It was painfully obvious that they desperately needed rest and there was no point in disturbing them when nothing could change the outcome. Everyone was bloodied, filthy and exhausted, though finally the team had been victorious over the enemies who had invaded Earth. And killed your Loki. 

You had barely eaten or slept in the two weeks since Loki’s death in battle, sacrificing himself to save his brother. Since that day only your grief and burning vengeance had been driving you on. You had fought like a beserker, uncaring about your own survival now that the man you loved was gone. All you wanted to do was kill them all and then die yourself. So here you were. 

Thor gently wrapped his arm around your sagging shoulders and pulled you firmly yet gently against his side, trying not to cause any additional pain as he did so. You closed your eyes and relaxed against him, allowing your clenched fingers to release their grip on the deep stab wound in your side. Thor could feel the warmth of your blood as it flowed between your bodies and pooled under the row of seats, out of sight. 

“Don’t say anything Thor, just let me rest against you so I don’t fall.”

“As you wish. Is there nothing I can do to make you more comfortable?”

“No. I'm not in much pain, I just feel tired and light headed. And my body feels so very heavy.”

Thor nodded. “Those sensations are entirely appropriate to indicate much loss of blood. There should be no pain, just increasing difficulty in supporting yourself as your strength wanes, and you may feel cold and tired. Then you will simply drift off into sleep and be unaware when the final moment is come upon you. It is indeed a warrior’s death, but a peaceful one.”

“Thank you. Even though I do not fear death itself the actual act of dying did scare me. Now I can go willingly without any hesitation.”

Thor sniffed and gritted his teeth. 

“I will support your body until we arrive home, which will be long after your crossing into the halls of Valhalla. You need not concern yourself about falling.”

“Thank you, Thor, for everything. You were right, I’m cold now, and it feels like my body is not mine anymore. But it doesn’t hurt.”

“Please give my brother my regards when you see him again. I miss him dearly.” Thor’s voice almost broke as he contained his emotions.

You gasped and Thor flicked his eyes over you in quick assessment but stopped in confusion when he saw the rapturous expression on your face.

“Oh Thor, he is here. Standing in front of us. He looks so peaceful and content.”

Thor stared at your blissful face, transfixed by the peace he saw there.

“I wish that I could see him so.” This time his voice broke as his throat spasmed and he fought back tears.

A familiar voice intruded into his mind. 

“And so you shall, brother, for I retain enough power to perform small manifestations still.”

“Loki.” Thor whispered as his frantic eyes scanned the space directly in front of him as a transparent green glow morphed into the tall figure of Loki. 

Thor’s heart skipped for joy at the beaming smile on his younger brother’s face, and he absorbed the palpable aura of contentment and acceptance that radiated from him. As he sat studying the luminous figure before him, Thor felt your small body quiver and slump more heavily against him and knew that your body had ceased its battle to live. He took a deep shaky breath to calm himself at the loss of yet another beloved companion and then gasped as he watched your ghostly form joined Loki’s standing before him.

Wrapping his arm around your shoulders Loki smiled and nodded at Thor. 

“Thank you, brother, for everything, we shall be fine together now. You can rest from your task of defending us for nothing can harm us now.”

Thor tried not to blink, not wanting to miss a single moment of the image of the pair of you embracing and uninjured as you stood before him. 

“Thank you, Loki,” his voice was low to prevent anyone else from overhearing. He was unable to project his voice as Loki did. “Thank you for giving me this memory of your combined happiness to carry with me.”

Loki nodded and raised a hand in farewell as you both began to face from view. His voice floated through Thor’s head as he disappeared.

“We will be here to welcome you when it is your time, brother, but not for many centuries yet.”

Thor smiled, closed his watery eyes and lowered his head backwards to rest on the interior of the fuselage. Under his breath he recited every viking prayer for the dead that he could remember and held your cooling body against his side firmly until the jet landed back at home base five hours later. 

When Steve noticed that you and Thor had not stood to disembark with the rest of the team he walked wearily over, expecting to have to wake you both. As he walked closer he was taken aback when he saw Thor’s tear lined face and your pale, awkwardly positioned body. He knew immediately that you had been dead for several hours at least. 

“Thor. We’re home. You can let her go now. I’ve got her.”

Thor looked into Steve’s eyes, momentarily unseeing, until he fought to focus and acknowledge that he could finally release you. Steve gently collected your small body into his arms as Thor rose painfully to his feet, weary in body, mind and soul. His eyes traced over your face and he smiled sadly. 

“She is with Loki now, I saw them.” He pointedly met Steve’s questioning look. “Loki was able to reveal himself to me, and I saw her join him. They were so content together.”

Steve pursed his lips and began the slow walk out of the Quinjet and into the facility where news of your death would need to be announced to all who knew and cared about you. But somehow he understood that your death today was not a complete tragedy of loss. You had gone where you needed to go, to be with your lover and soul mate. Everyone here would grieve for you but you were precisely where you were meant to be – at Loki’s side, forever. Steve knew that your own grief and heartbreak upon Loki’s death had not been handled well by the team. There had been no time to grieve or offer you support due to the continual violent battles, but he knew you understood this and had forced your personal despair deep down until after the war was won. You had always been extremely professional. And now you were united for the rest of eternity with your Loki. And the Earth was safe. Drinks would be had, lost companions toasted and tales of bravery and sacrifice told and repeated, but the sun was shining again and would continue to do so for the foreseeable future.


End file.
